Hero's Call
by GraceDragon013
Summary: A new hero rises and he must defend his home of Hyrule from a threatening darkness. No journey is ever easy, but Link will be pushed to the edge of his courage. Will he falter?
1. Chapter 1

_I know who I am. I know who I am!_ The hero pressed his back against a gnarled tree, clutching his sword and trying to smooth his breathing so that his enemy would not hear him. A small orb of light hovered by the hero's shoulder, giving off comfort and reassurance. To the orb, he whispered, "I know who I am, Dew."

"You can do it, Link!" The tiny, female voice of the orb replied. Dew, only visible as a ball of light, floated down to Link's left hand and touched the three connected triangles that the back of his hand bore. Link stared at the mark of the Triforce and squinted his eyes to make out Dew's silhouette. "You _are _courage. You're not just my hero."

Link nodded, his bright blue eyes now peering over his shoulder and around the cover of his tree. A large shadow, created by the setting sun, centered his field of vision – his enemy. Link could not doubt himself now. No, now was the time for what the Triforce recognized him for: courage. Link gripped his sword and, with a yell, leapt out of his cover to engage his enemy once more.

"Link! Heeey, Liiiiink!"

Link bolted erect in his bed. The yell from outside his home in the tree had jolted him from his dreams. Breathing out a sigh of relief that what he had thought was so real was really just a dream, he hopped out of his bed and went to the window to see who it was that had woken him so early.

"Great, you're up! Come on out here; let's race!" It was Link's long-time friend, Tippo, waving his arms excitedly to urge Link to join him. What was he doing awake just after the sun had risen? And already dressed for the day too? If he wanted to race Link, couldn't he have waited until a more decent hour? But they were best friends, and Link couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm Tippo showed. He nodded to his friend and went back inside to change into his day clothes.

Life in Hyrule was peaceful, especially in Ferryar Forest. Days went in and out with routine, and any happy surprise was welcomed. Yet, Link's days were different from everyone else's. He had an urge for something more that he didn't understand. With no parents and no available answers to his many questions, he often used any spare time he had to go exploring around the forest with his horse, Epona. He and Epona were the only family each had; Link had found the mare wandering in Ferryar Forest only a few years past. She loved music and Link was no stranger to playing the ocarina. While everyone in Ferryar Forest welcomed Link and treated him as one of their own, Link knew from several tell-tale signs that he was not one of them. His skin was lighter than the Ferryians', his eyes sky blue while theirs were deep brown, his hair was blonde while the Ferryians had black or brown hair. And most importantly, the back of his left hand had a mark that was most certainly not a mishap. Three connected triangles with one upside down triangle in the middle of them made one whole, larger triangle. It was not a strange mark to a Hylian; all knew it was the mark of the Triforce. The princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, had the same mark; she was seen as the Wisdom of the Triforce.

"Wisdom, Power, and Courage," Link muttered to himself. He was one of the few who didn't fully believe in the legend of the Triforce. In the homely village of Ferryar Forest there were no superstitions, threats, or dangers. Ferryians had their gods like everyone else did, but the Ferryians' gods did not include Nayru (the Goddess of Wisdom), Din (the Goddess of Power), or Farore (the Goddess of Courage).

"Alright! Let's go; Athina is up too and she's got Epona and Joro waiting for us." Tippo patted Link's back once he was out of his house and on the ground. The two headed off towards the fenced in field next to Athina's house. Sure enough, Athina had Epona and Joro with their tack on, waiting for Link and Tippo. Athina had set up barrels and jumps for the two competitors to race around.

"Good morning, you two," Athina greeted her friends. "Link, Epona had some knots in her mane. Did you even brush her yesterday after herding the sheep?"

"Um," Link rubbed the back of his head. He had indeed forgotten to brush Epona after their chores. But he hadn't even thought about it that morning thanks to his disturbing dream.

"I did it for you this time," Athina handed Epona's and Joro's leads to their respective riders. "But you've got to take better care of her."

Link nodded in apology to Athina and mounted Epona, adjusting the reigns in his hands. Epona burred, anxious to get going. Link smiled and patted her neck. Their bond was more than rider and horse. He looked to Tippo to see if he was also ready to start.

"You know you're going to lose, right?" Tippo challenged. Joro shook his head and paced eagerly.

"Hey, let's have a friendly race, boys," Athina smiled. She knew it was just Tippo's usual banter, but felt a need to say something anyway. Her eyes met Link's for a brief moment; he thought he saw her cheeks turn a little rosier but before he could be sure, Athina hurried off to the fence and called the start of the race.

"Come on, Joro!" Tippo kicked the gelding into a canter and quickly got ahead of the dazed Link. Link hurried Epona forward, weaving through the barrels with ease; it was just like riding through the trees of the forest. Tippo had already jumped two of the six wooden jumps Athina had set up. There was just the turnaround and he would be back to the start in no time. Link urged Epona to move faster. She leapt over the horizontal wooden poles easily; Link gripped her sides with his legs as she came along Tippo and Joro. The two galloped back towards Athina at the same rate. Link smiled at Tippo's laugh; neither of them knew who had won. They both slowed their horses and looked to Athina for a verdict.

"The winner is," Athina paused, walking over to them. "Tippo and Joro!"

"Ha!" Tippo exclaimed, jumping off of Joro and rubbing his mane. "Great job, buddy." Link stayed on Epona. "Now that you've had your morning beating, you should get started on your work, Link!"

"You had a head start," Link defended himself.

"You were busy staring at Athina!" Tippo teased. He laughed aloud at the surprised looks on Athina and Link's faces. Good heartedly, he waved for Link to leave. Being such good friends, all three knew each other's schedules. Today, Link had to start by gathering some more furnace wood for the bakery; it was more of a favor to the owner than an actual job.

With only a small awkward moment of hesitation, Link turned Epona around and squeezed her sides to get her into a gallop. They jumped the fence and headed off to the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

"The quiet's nice, huh, Epona?" Link sat on the grass and let Epona graze. With a fair-sized pile of wood he'd gathered lying next to him, Link figured there wasn't much harm in taking a break. The morning sun shone through the trees and danced on the dew-covered grass. Link watched Epona, taking a moment to admire her strong build and coloring. Her chestnut body and creamy mane and tale made a beautiful combination, along with her white stockings and blaze on down her face. Link had a special bond with Epona so he felt it was only right to apologize for not brushing her out the day before. As a reply, she nibbled playfully at the sleeves of Link's shirt.

_"Eeyah!"_

Link sprang to his feet, looking around quickly for the source of the scream that had broken the silence of the trees. He didn't stop to wonder why the scream sounded so tiny, but he did wonder why he couldn't clearly see the one who had made it. Suddenly, a vine curled around his ankle and lifted him in the air, raising a protesting whiney from Epona. Link traced the vine to its origin and found a gaping mouth of sharp teeth staring back at him. The teeth belonged to a plant that looked much like a mutated Venus flytrap about half a person taller than Link. Within the teeth, Link saw the one whose frightened scream had caught his attention. It was a little ball of sky-blue light with distinct wings coming from it. Fairies were not uncommon in Ferryar Forrest, but they were rarely seen so close to where Link lived. The fairy's light was flickering; Link had to save her!

The vine from the monstrous plant was still wrapped tightly around Link's ankle, and he couldn't shake it no matter what he tried. Link looked to the ground for something to aid him; even a rock would do. But he found something better. His pile of wood was just within his reach. Link stretched out his hand and grasped the long piece of wood that rested on top of the pile. With a grip as firm as a practiced horseman's hold on his reigns, Link slammed the piece of wood into the side of the monster's head as hard as he could. Its head swung to the side, flinging the fairy out of danger's way. Link was thrown to the ground, wood still in hand. He grunted and got to his feet.

Link quickly dodged the vines that tried to entangle him again. He got as close as he could to the monster's head and cracked the wood against it. With a thud, the monster crumpled to the ground. Link dropped the wood and took a step back. He stared at his hands; the triangles on the back of his left hand itched. What had he just done?

"H-hey… you," A tiny voice called to him. Link hurried over to the fairy, cupping her in his hands. "That was… impressive. Thank you."

"Are you hurt?" Link asked. Even with her light not at its brightest, it was still difficult for him to see the fairy.

"I'll be okay," came her reply. Link could feel her sit up in his palm. "My name is Dew."

"I'm Link," he introduced himself. "What are you doing so close to Ferryar's village? And what was that thing?"

"There is a darkness spreading throughout Hyrule," Dew began. "I was running away."

"Running away? What darkness?"

"Nuh-uh, Mister Link," Dew stood on his right palm, her light stronger now. "I've got places to be; monsters to run from."

"You're not going to tell me anything else?" Link objected.

"Can you only speak in questions?" Dew flittered upwards until she was eye-level with Link. "I don't see why I should tell you anything."

Link frowned; he didn't really see a reason either. He did just save her life though, didn't he? That had to count for something.

"Oh no! I see that look in your eyes! I'm not doing the whole life-debt thing with you, Mister Link!" Dew said pointedly.

Link sighed and stood. He went over to the ruined thing that had just tried to eat them both. He knelt down and stared intently at the 'face' of the plant. It had no features save for its large, deadly mouth. Green and red swirled throughout the body of the thing, the vines tipped with black. Link's eyes narrowed, taking in all the detail; he'd never seen anything like it in Ferryar Forest before. Curiosity got the better of him; Link slowly reached out with his left hand and touched the head of the monster. A bright light came from the triangles on the back of his hand, blinding Link and Dew.

"W-what is this?" Link exclaimed. The light vanished as quickly as it had come. Link stared at his hand; it was unchanged.

"You… The Triforce?" Dew hovered next to Link's hand.

"You know what this is?" Link gasped. He'd heard the name of it in his dream but didn't think it was real.

"You don't?" Dew asked, surprised. "You all just live in your own corner of the world, don't you? That's the Triforce! The mark that Princess Zelda has as well."

"We don't really involve ourselves with things like that," Link replied. "Forget that. Just tell me what you know about this Triforce."

"Well aren't you just snippy," Dew pouted. "Fine. Because I think it's pathetic for someone to not know, I'll tell you the legend of the Triforce.

_ "Before time began, before spirits and life existed, three Golden Goddesses descended from a Distant Nebula upon the chaos that was Hyrule. These three Golden Goddesses were Din, the Goddess of Power; Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom; and Farore, the Goddess of Courage. The Golden Goddesses each infused the land of Hyrule with their own powers. Din, with her strong, flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth. Hence, she created the very earth from which life in Hyrule would spring. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, thus establishing order in a formerly chaotic world. She was responsible for the creation of the laws of the universe, including the laws of science and wizardry that would govern Hyrule and the universe at large. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru. As the mother of all life in the universe, she created the beings that would walk the earth, fly in the sky, and swim in the waters._

"_The three Golden Goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens from a parallel dimension connected to the land of Hyrule, a realm of midday golden skies and a place where the spirits could roam free. A temple dedicated to the element of light was set at the heart of this Golden Land and the Goddesses departed from the point atop the pyramidal temple, leaving behind a symbol of their power at the point of the temple. This symbol, a golden triangle composed of three smaller triangles united to form one, came to be known as the Triforce, a relic of omnipotent and omniscient power. The Triforce, when mastered in its entirety, would grant its wielder his or her heart's desire for the duration of his or her natural life. It served as a balance of the three forces: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Only one with all three forces in balance in his or her heart would be able to wield the united Triforce and use its true power to govern all. The Golden Land of the Triforce came to be known in the land of Hyrule as the Sacred Realm._

_ "To seal the gateway to the Sacred Realm, the Ancient Sages, the appointed wielders of the powers of the world's elements by the Goddesses, crafted a sword capable of repelling even the Triforce's magic, as they knew that the Triforce could not judge between good and evil and could thus be abused by one of impure heart. This sword, forged and infused with the power to banish evil itself, came to be known as the Blade of Evil's Bane, or more commonly, the Master Sword. The sword would serve as the key to the Sacred Realm as well as the primary weapon against those of evil intent. The sword was infused into the magical Pedestal of Time and the mighty Temple of Time was constructed around the Pedestal of Time by the Ancient Sages, with the assistance of the Oocca race. The Sages then sealed the Grand Chamber of the Master Sword with a mighty stone barrier known as the Door of Time, which was then locked by a seal that could only be broken by one possessing three magical jewels, the Spiritual Stones, and the powerful instrument known as the Ocarina of Time._

_ "As the ages passed, a prophecy formed, telling of a catastrophic event known as the Great Cataclysm, in which the Triforce would be shattered and the land of Hyrule would be cast into darkness by the evil one that shattered the Triforce. However, this dark entity would be repelled by a great hero, the Hero of Time, who would wield the Blade of Evil's Bane on the eve of the Cataclysm. This legend passed down through time and became myth as well as prophecy, the Prophecy of the Great Cataclysm and the Hero of Time."_

Link listened intently to everything Dew said. The legend was truly fascinating. He tried to remember every bit of it that he possibly could; Dew had it memorized, it seemed. The story must have meant a lot to her.

"You believe in this Hero of Time?" The question came out ruder than Link had intended. Sure, it was a nice bedtime story, but how could anyone believe that one person could actually defeat the manifestation of darkness?

"Of course! It would be horrible not to," Dew answered. To her and all fairies, the Hero of Time was a last hope. Unlike other races, fairies had no means to defend themselves; Dew was proof of that.

"And what does this have to do with me and this mark?" Link raised his clenched left hand, exposing the Triforce.

"Come with me to see Princess Zelda," Dew began hastily. "She knows so much more than I do. She can answer your questions."

Link's hand dropped back to his lap. Leave his home and his friends to chase down some answers that he might not even like? Link wasn't some Hero of Time; he was a farm boy. The thought of leaving his quaint village and peaceful Ferryar Forest was confusing to say the least. Link had never wandered farther than the waterfall where he'd raced Tippo weeks ago; and that was the most adventure he'd ever seen until meeting Dew. But the idea of traveling to other places and meeting new people was intriguing. Not to mention what Dew had said before about a darkness spreading through Hyrule. If that was true, it was only a matter of time before whatever the darkness was reached Ferryar Forest. If there was a chance that Link could do something to stop that from happening, no matter how intimidating it may be, he would take it. The monstrous plant he'd just faced was proof enough of Dew's claim.

Link had made up his mind: "Let's go." If he went back to the village now, he probably wouldn't be able to get away. Leaving without a word to everyone he knew was hurtful but much easier than having to explain what had just happened to him. He stood up and expertly pulled himself onto Epona. He half expected Dew to make some kind of comment about the horse but she just made a couple circles around Link and then began to lead the way out of Ferryar Forest.

**Author's note:** Hardcore _Zelda_ fans will notice that the legend of the creation of Hyrule is nearly word for word from the original _Ocarina of Time. _I can't take credit for the wonderful story or words used to tell it.

Reviews keep me writing! If you want more of this story, tell me so~!


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